Refrigerating apparatus



No i949 E. A. szYMczYK 2,4865@ REFRIGERATIG APPARATUS Filed Jan. s1, 194s WITNESSES:

.5'5- Jf y' INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. l, 1949 2,486,508 nEFnrGEaA'rmG arrana'rus Edmund A. Szymczyk, Indian Orchard, Mass., asslgnor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsyl- Application January 31, 1948, Serial No. 5,593 z claims. (ci. 22o-24) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to a cold storage cabinet embodying such apparatus\ The invention particularly relates to cold storage or cooler cabinets of the horizontal type having a top opening lid for aording access to the interior of the cabinet. and may be particularly exemplified by a cabinet used for the storage of packaged goods such as a bottle cooler.

More particularly, the invention relates to a horizontal cooler where the heat transfer from the stored goods to the refrigerating system is accomplished by the use of cold circulating air. In such coolers the heat leakage at the junction of the lids and the cabinet walls becomes a. source of trouble, since the surface temperature is lowered on the cabinet exterior therefore tends to cause moisture condensation on the cabinet.

An object of the invention therefore is to providea construction at the junction of the cabinet walls and the movable top lid or door which will materially reduce heat leakage at this. junction and will at the same time afford a good appearance.

A further object is to provide such a structure which will be of relatively cheap construction and is readily assembled.

These and other objects are eiected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation principally in section, of a refrigerator cabinet embodying the invention, and which cabinet is provided with a two-piece lid hinged at its center;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the cabinet wall and the co'- operating lid;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, also on an enlarged scale, of the construction adjacent the hinge joining the two lid portions.

In the drawings, in Fig. 1 there is shown a top-opening cabinet I having any inner liner II which serves as the storage compartment I2 for This evaporator is operatively connected in a known manner to the compressor I8 and con-l -2 A denser I3, both the latter being here shown as located in the non-refrigerated compartment I 6'. The evaporator is surrounded\by a shroud for directing the path of circulating air and for di- 23 directs the cooled air toward the ends of thev storage compartment. A pair of shelves 24, each imperforate except at its end v25, are provided in the storage compartment near its bottom wall. These shelves extend from the baille 20 substantially to the end walls of the compartmentand from one side Wall of the compartment to the other so that they form. together with thebottom wall of the compartment, ducts 26 for the return of air from the compartment through -the perforated end of each shelf to the evaporator. The general path of the circulating air is indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The Vclosure for the upper end of the storage compartment comprises a two-piece lid 21 centrally hinged Vas at 28 so that either piece may be separately raised by a handle 29. l

Referring to Fig. 2 which shows details of the cabinet and lid construction adjacent the rim of the lid, the cabinet shell I3 is bent to form a horizontal wall 30, a short depending portion 3l and a short horizontal portion 32 providing a ledge. A breaker strip 33 has a vertically depending leg 34, a short horizontal portion 35 and a short upwardly extending portion 36. The leg 34 is suitably? attached, as by screws 31, to the inner liner II, and the upwardly extending portion 36 is attached by suitable fastening means such as screws 38 to the depending flange 3| of the outer shell. When so disposed the horizontal portion 35 of the breaker strip lies above the ledge portion 32 of the outer shell. has a vertical flange 40 interposed between members 3| and 36 and also has a horizontal ange 4I overlying the horizontal wall -30 of the shell I 3 and a shorter ange 42 overlying the upper edge of breaker strip 33.

This breaker strip should be made of material of low heat conductivity such as a phenolic resin compound, while the gasket 33 should be of yieldable material such as rubber or a rubber-like compound. As the outer shell I3 and the inner liner II are usually made of sheet metalfthe construction described provides a'path of minimum heat 'transfer between those two parts. The horizontaliianges 4I and 42 also serve as a resilient buer when the lid section 2'I is lowered.

Also the short ange 42 serves to seal and protect the upper edge of the breaker strip. It will be understood that the construction Just described extends completely around the upper 'edge of the cabinet.

The lid 21 is formed of an outer shell 43. an inner pan 44 and suitable insulation 45 interposed therebetween. I prefer to make the inner pan 44 from molded material of relatively low heat conductivity, such as a phenolic resin compound.

A gasket 46 is provided having a fiat horizontal leg portion 41 and a depending enlarged rounded portion 48 which may be hollow as shown. Portion 41 is engaged, as by screws 49, between a horizontal flange 50 formed on the outer shell 43 of the lid and a horizontal flange formed at the edge of the inner pan 44. As this gasket extends entirely around the lid, the portion 41 provides a seal against moisture filtering into the insulation of the lid. I

When the lid is closed, as shown. flange 50 of the outer shell 43 of the lid engages the horizontal portions 4l and 42 of gasket 39 as has been described, while enlarged portion 48 of gasket 46 engages the horizontal portion 35 of the breaker strip 33. Thus a double seal is afforded against infiltration of warm air intoA the cabinet at the junction of the lid with the cabinet.

With a two-section hinged lid of the character herein described, it is also necessary to provide a seal at the hinge to prevent air infiltration and this is particularly important with an alrcooled storage compartment.

It would be possible to provide a construction in which each lid section is permanently attached To accomplish these results, I provide a construction -at the top center of the storage compartment which not only provides an excellent seal against infiltration of warm air, but also permits the aforesaid desirable removable lid construction. The construction also provides a means for centering the lid on the cabinet when only one section is to be raised.

For example, a strip of material 52 of somewhat triangular cross-section is provided transversely of the storage compartment adjacent the hinge 28. This strip is preferably made of a material of low heat conductivity such as hard rubber or a phenolic condensation compound. The strip is -here shown as attached to and supported by a metallic reinforcing channel-shaped member 53. The latter member is provided at each end with a downwardly-projecting flange 54 which flange is removably engaged in the enlarged portion 55 of a strap 56. The strap is fastened near its ends as at 61 to a wall of the storage compartment.

When the lid is in place, as shown in Fig. 3, the gasket portions 48 of the lid engage the opposite upwardly sloping sides of triangular strip 52 to form a seal against air leaking into the storage compartment. The triangular shape helps to center the lid when one portion or the other is raised. By removing the entire lid and the detachable channel member 53, the entire interior of the storage compartment is made accessible for any necessary cleaning or servicing operation.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the invention provides an inexpensive. readily-constructed and effective construction for a horizontal top-opening refrigerator cabinet having a removable lid construction.

While ;.I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

1. Refrigerator cabinet construction wherein the cabinet is of the top-opening type comprising anminner liner, a sheet metal outer shell formed to*` provide a substantially horizontal portion adjacent the opening and then a downwardly stepped flange having a vertical portion and a short horizontal portion terminating short of and above the inner liner, a. breaker strip of relatively low heat conductivity joining the liner and said outer shell, said breaker strip having a lower portion engaging the liner and attached thereto, a central portion lying above the short horizontal portion of the flange of the outer shell and a vertical terminal portion substantially parallel to the vertical portion of the flange of the outer shell, and a. substantially T-shaped resilient gasket having a vertical leg interposed between the flange and the breaker strip and having a horizontal portion overlying both the horizontal portion of the outer shell and the upper edge of the breaker strip.

2. In combination with the structure of claim 1, a movable cover for said top opening, and gasket means attached to the underside of said lid adjacent its periphery so that when said cover is in closed position it engages the horizontal part of said T-shaped gasket while the lid 'gasket' engages the horizontal portion of the 55 breaker strip.

No references cited. 

